In a linear guiding portion of a work table of a machine tool or any one of various conveying devices, there is widely used a rolling guiding device in which a slide member with a movable member such as a table mounted thereon moves continuously along a raceway rail. In a rolling guiding device of this type, the slide member is assembled to the raceway rail through the intermediation of a large number of balls, and the balls roll along while bearing a load between the slide member and the raceway rail. As a result, it is possible for the movable member mounted on the slide member to make a smooth movement along the raceway rail while involving very little resistance. The slide member is equipped with an endless circulation path for the balls, and the balls are caused to circulate within this endless circulation path. As a result, it is possible for the slide member to move continuously along the raceway rail.
The raceway rail has a ball rolling groove extending in the longitudinal direction, and the slide member has a load rolling groove opposed to the ball rolling groove of the raceway rail, so a load rolling path for the balls is formed by the ball rolling groove on the raceway rail side and the load rolling groove on the slide member side. That is, the balls are held in contact with the ball rolling groove on the raceway rail side and the load rolling groove on the slide member side, and roll along while bearing a load exerted there between. Further, the slide member has a non-load rolling path which is parallel to the load rolling path, and both ends of this non-load rolling path are communication-connected with the load rolling path by a pair of direction changing paths formed in an arcuate configuration. The balls are released from the load at an end of the load rolling path, and are detached from the ball rolling groove of the raceway rail to enter one of the direction changing paths, from which the balls roll toward the non-load rolling path. The balls having rolled through the non-load rolling path are returned to the ball rolling groove of the raceway rail by way of the direction changing path on the opposite side before rolling through the load rolling path again while bearing the load. In this way, the slide member is equipped with an endless circulation path for the balls in which the load rolling path, one direction changing path, the non-load rolling path, and the other direction changing path are successively connected; while circulating through this endless circulation path, the balls are alternately placed in a loaded state and an unloaded state. As a result, the slide member can move continuously along the raceway rail without involving any limitations in terms of stroke.
Conventionally, the slide member includes a block body formed of a steel allowing quenching and a pair of synthetic resin end caps fixed to the front and rear end surfaces of the block body. In producing the block body, it is first roughly shaped through drawing, and then a mounting surface of a movable member, a tap hole for fastening a fixation bolt, and through-holes constituting the non-load rolling paths are formed by machining; further, it is necessary to perform grinding on the non-load rolling grooves. Further, the end caps are equipped with the direction changing paths scoop-up portions for detaching the balls from the rolling grooves of and the raceway rail, and are formed by injection molding of synthetic resin. Further, by accurately fixing the end caps to the front and rear end surfaces, the end portions of the load rolling paths and the end portions of the non-load rolling paths are connected by the direction changing paths, thereby completing a slide member equipped with endless ball circulation paths (JP 10-009264 A, Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. 04-53459, etc.).    Patent Document 1: JP 10-009264 A    Patent Document 2: Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. 04-53549